Spend time surrounded by nature, exploring the Arboretum while completing activities that will connect you with nature, all while earning a patch through the Healthy Outside partnership with the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California.

There are so many places to get outside, enjoy nature and learn at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. Have you seen them all? This page provides 20+ places you may not know about yet, let alone visited.

Learn more about the location of our gardens and collections, parking information and our suggestions for what to see on three different walking loops. Each loop is approximately 1 mile and will introduce you to the work we do to inspire human potential to help people and environments thrive!

The Arboretum is home to at least 31 species of mammals, 7 species of fish, 3 species of amphibians, 19 species of reptiles, 45 species of butterflies, 18 species of ants, and hundreds of species of other insects and invertebrates (confirmed and expected). More than 135 species of birds have been observed nesting or roosting in the Arboretum.

The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden offers a quiet refuge and a refreshing setting for recreation at any time of the year. It also provides an opportunity to experience the turning of the seasons through changing displays of flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and foliage. Populations of birds, mammals, insects, and other fauna vary rhythmically through the year. Look for these especially showy or prominent features in each season.

The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is collaborating with Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Haven Kiers in her research project designed to help determine if sheep, which intermittently graze a lawn on central campus, can eat weeds and grass, fertilize and control pests as well as or better than using conventional landscaping methods.

Faculty and academics from across the disciplines use the "green classrooms" of the UC Davis Arboretum to teach in creative and engaging ways that provide students with real-world applications to their scholarship. Over 100 courses utilize the Arboretum’s gardens and scientific collections each year.

The UC Davis Putah Creek Riparian Reserve is a 640-acre natural riparian and grassland ecosystem that runs along the southern edge of the UC Davis campus. The Reserve is utilized for teaching and research purposes, wildlife and habitat protection, and community engagement.

We rely on volunteer support in every area of operations. As a volunteer, you can learn new skills, meet other people who share your interests, and feel wonderful about supporting our environment. Whatever your skills or interests, the Arboretum and Public Garden welcomes you.